7 rings

Chapter 9

I'm leaving. I'm finally leaving.

Mark Benson was faster than Dominica thought he would be. He easily navigated the crowd on the train station, that, even at almost midnight, still made it difficult to move around and especially run. When she ran into the building, he was already quickly moving away from the box office, in the direction of the platforms. She ran after him and realized that there were not nearly as much people in the platforms and underground hallways that lead to them as there were in the entrance. When she ran into the underground hallway, panting, she only had the time to see Mark going up the stairs, to the platform 14. The one that sent trains far, far away. Then she heard the sound of a train stopping exactly where she pictured the place Mark was to be. She was used to running fast but still asked herself why did she run faster to catch Mark than escaping from murderers a month ago.  She couldn't lose him now.

Come on...

She ran onto the platform. Mark seemed to be the only one there, running to the doors, which were almost closing. she wanted to scream, but, somehow, she couldn't. So she ran. She ran until she saw Mark quickly getting into the closing doors. She didn't have the time to think. She pushed him with all of her strength, and they both fell on the ground of the platform, as the train slowly, then more confidently, went away.

What is happening?  Who cares, anyway? It's over. This was the only chance I had. It's over.

Mark opened his eyes, in pain from the landing on the concrete floor. Then he opened them wider. He saw Dominica, sitting on the floor, near him. He sat, looking at her. No emotions, no thoughts. Nothing was happening. Then tears started rolling down her cheeks, but she suddenly smiled.

This was the right choice. I know it was.

Dominica... Why does it always happen like this? Why do I want to find you so hard but can't, and when I'm ready to go, leaving you behind, you appear, in this way? Why am I so happy you just pushed me out of a train?

- Don't say anything, please.- calmly said Dominica Mallory. He looked at her, not saying anything. Then they both heard it. Frantic steps, heavy breathing, then someone ran on the platform. It the dark, the only things Mark noticed was that it was a tall, thin woman with blonde hair. She was wearing a coat, and looked out of breath, staring directly at them, sitting on the ground.

Mark thought she had missed the train, and didn't just want to go away, after paying for the ticket and obviously running for a while, in an unsuccessful attempt of arriving in time. He turned around and looked at Dominica.

She was pale and her eyes were wide open, she had stopped crying. She slowly stood up.

No, no, no, no... Oh, God. No. What is happening?

It seemed like the world around Dominica slowly faded away, there was nothing except her and... She couldn't even think straight.

Mark didn't understand anything. The two women looked at each other for a good minute.

No, no. No. This can't be happening. It can't-

- I wasn't ready. - calmly said Dominica, so quietly and softly, but still, every one of the three people on the platform herad it.

- We are never ready. Yet things come.- responded the stranger. Mark didn't know what exactly was similar, but there was some similarity in the way she and Mallory talked.

- Not this type of things. - both were crying. - I will never be ready for this type of things... Mom.

Before any of them could speak or think, they heard someone clapping from above. All of them looked up: Dominica, tears rolling down her cheeks, the woman, Mark, the most confused he had ever been. On the metallic suspended roof, for those who were waiting for their train to arrive during the rain, there was someone sitting, unrecognizable in the dark and from below.

- Beautiful! Splendid! - they heard a voice the three knew belonged to a girl named Philomena Kottmeyer say, from above.